Interlocking sink stopper



April 8, 1941. BUTT 2,237,546

INTERLOCKING SINK STOPPER Filed Feb. 1, 1940 EDWARD BUTT I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERLOCKING SINK scrorrnn 1 Edward Butt, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application February 1, 1940, Serial No. 316,751

1 Claim.

This invention relates to sink stoppers for closing the drain pipe from kitchen sinks. to enable the water to be held temporarily in the sink for washing purposes.

An object of this invention is to provide a,

stopper of simple construction which may be used on perforated drain plates of any ordinary drain pipe without requiring any special construction of drain pipe or sink.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rubber disk sink stopper having an inverted cone-shaped member projecting from and below 7 one face thereof and being located at the central portion of said disk, the said cone-shaped member being molded integral with the disk and being adapted to be compressed into a smaller circumference and to expand to its original shape after insertion into one of the perforations of a sink drain plate and to interlock with said drain plate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ring secured to the disk shaped member and being adapted to be engaged by a finger for removing the sink stopper, the said cone-shaped member on removal being also compressed into a smaller circumference and permitting disenagement of the stopper from the interlocking position.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary central cross-sectional View of the interlocking sink stopper in operating position in a kitchen sink.

Figure 2. is a fragmentary View of the sink stopper shown in Figure 1, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View of a modified interlocking sink stopper of inverted dish form and of resilient rubber.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the stopper shown in Figure 3, on an enlarged scale, and showing a resilient means mounted on the cylindrical projection extending from. the lower face of the stopper.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral indicates a flat flexible soft rubber disk of a size adapted to cover a percylindrical projection forated drain plate ll of a sink l2 superposed over a drain pipe 13.

The rubber disk ID has a centrally positioned l4 extending from and below its lower face I5. The projection I4 has an integral and inverted cone-shaped end portion l6. 7

The base ll of thecone-shaped end portion I6 has been positioned in spaced relation from the lower face l5 a distance slightly more than the thickness of the drain plate II.

The diameter of the cylindrical projection II has been made substantially the same as the diameter of the central aperture l8 of the drain plate II. The circumference of the base I! of the cone-shaped end portion l6 has been made larger than the circumference of the aperture l8.

It is to be noted that the cone base I! is of a size to permit forcible entry into the central perforation l8 of a plurality of perforations in the drain plate.

A ring l9 of a size adapted for engagement with a finger has been secured by means of a boss 20 to the disk Ill and serves for disengaging an end portion of the disk from the sink, whereby the suction developed in the operation of such devices may be conveniently broken for removal of the stopper from the sink.

In operation, the user places the stopper l0 over the drain plate H with the inverted coneshaped member 16 over the central aperture I8 of the drain plate and presses down the central portion of the rubber disk until the member l6 is driven below the lower face of the drain plate. On releasing the stopper, the member l6 remains interlocked with the drain plate and the disk Ill remains in contacting relation with the upper surface of the drain plate.

As shown in Figure 3, there has been provided a modified sink stopper 2| made of elastic resilient rubber and in the form of an inverted dish.

The dish-shaped stopper 2| has an integrally molded centrally positioned cylindrical projection 22 extending from its inner face 23. The projection 22 has an integral and inverted coneshaped endportion 24. The base 25 of the cone shaped end portion 24 has been made of a size to permit forcible entry into the central perforation of the drain plate and in spaced relation from the inner face 23 a distance slightly more than the thickness of the drain plate.

When using the stopper 2|, its central portion is pushed down until the base 25 of the member 24 is below the lower face of the drain plate.

On removal of pressure, the stopper 2|, due to its inherent resiliency, rebounds and the member 24 remains interlocked and the annular flange of the stopper 2| remains in tight sealing relation with the upper surface of the drain plate.

A ring 21 mounted in an aperture in a boss 28 of the stopper 2| may be used for releasing the stopper from engagement with the sink.

As shown in Figure 4, there has been provided a modified engaging device comprising a compression spring 29, preferably of the flat corrugated type, well known in the machinery art, and mounted ,by means of a central aperture on the cylindrical projection 22. The spring 29 serves to hold the stopper 2| in more positive engagement with both the upper and lower faces of the drain plate.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In an interlocking stopper for sealing the drain holes in a sink drain plate having a central drain hole, comprising a one-piece inverted dishshaped rubber body having an annular normally flat sealing flange and an interlocking extension made of rubber, said extension being positioned centrally of said flange, said extension comprising an enlarged conical end portion having a base larger than said central drain hole, said conical end portion extending sufliciently below said sealing flange to extend into said central drain hole, the base of said conical end portion being in spaced relation below the inner face of said dish-shaped rubber body a distance greater than the thickness of said drain plate, said conical end portion after insertion into said central drain hole being movable downwardly to bring its base below the lower surface of said drain plate, the upper portion of said dishshaped rubber body being flexible and adapted to react in an upward direction after said downward movement, said upward reaction causing said stopper and drain plate to come into unitary relation by positive interlocking engagement between said extension base and the lower face of said drain plate.

EDWARD BUTT. 

